*Thomas Meenaghan celebrates scoring Banner’s first goal. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
BANNER’S unforgettable season keeps rolling on after the Ennis club advanced to the semi-finals of the Munster club intermediate football championship.
Banner 2-13
Brickey Rangers 1-13
Venue: Banner GAA Grounds, Ennis
It wasn’t until Thomas Meenaghan bagged his second goal on forty four minutes that the Ennis outfit took the lead for the first time.
They had been threatening for so long to go ahead and while they invited their opponents upon themselves after nudging in front, they remained in the ascendancy at the time of the final whistle to advance to a first Munster semi-final.
Awaiting them in the last four is a star-studded Fossa outfit containing the might of the Clifford brothers, David and Paudie.
Marquee names stood tall once again for the Banner with Thomas Meenaghan kicking 2-1 and serving as a constant threat, Shane Meehan getting on the ball in the right place, at the right time and doing the right thing, Ronan Kilroy made the hard yards in possession and Seán McMahon kicked vital scores.
Among their lesser known players that led the way were wing back James Coakley who clocked seven turnovers over the hour and netminder Mark Cleary stepped up to save a penalty.
Eight missed chances in the opening half had Banner one point adrift at the interval. Not alone were they dropping efforts short but this resulted in Brickey Rangers converting two points at the other end of the field when they transitioned immediately from defence to attack.
Tom O’Connell who fired a hat-trick when Waterford shocked Clare in the 2021 U20 football championship was proving difficult to handle and kicked seven points while also having the assist for Callum Royale’s goal which had the visitors 1-2 0-1 in front in the first ten minutes.
Four points without reply saw Banner respond to the concession of the goal, McMahon with a double, Kilroy and one from Conor Dennehy brought them back level before Brickey kicked the next three scores including a Daithí Colleran two pointer.
Meenaghan’s first major on twenty minutes after he set up Liam Hughes and then reacted to Hughes’ missed attempt, followed by a Shane Meehan point levelled matters for the third time but Paddy McCarthy converted a free before the break to leave Brickey clear by one.
Two points each kept the gap at one point inside the third quarter before Meenaghan finished his second goal which was worked well by McMahon and Cian O’Connor. A free from McMahon and a superb Meenaghan point saw them kick 1-2 without reply to hold a five point lead with forty seven minutes on the clock.
Both sides added three scores each from here till the final whistle but among this was a Tom O’Connell two pointer which reduced the margin to three but Banner held on to claim the spoils.
In front of an attendance of 850, Shane Mernagh’s Banner maintained their winning run of seven championship games. They did struggle to get in front but crucially never fell behind once they got their noses ahead. An almighty test awaits but they have recorded a special provincial championship win on home soil ahead of their Fossa fixture.
All photographs by Gerard O’Neill.
Scorers Banner: T Meenaghan (2-1), S McMahon (0-5 3f), S Meehan (0-3), R Kilroy (0-2), C Dennehy (0-1), C O’Connor (0-1).
Scorers Brickey Rangers: T O’Connell (0-7 TP 1f), C Royale (1-0), D Colleran (0-2 1TP), P McCarthy (0-2 2f), C McGrath (0-1), C Browne (0-1), C Curran (0-1).
Banner:
1: Mark Cleary
4: Conor O’Toole
3: Cian Rynne
22: Oisin McMahon
5: James Coakley
6: Eoin Walsh
7: Conor Dennehy
8: Fuwad Akinwale
10: Ronan Kilroy
20: Johnny Martin
11: Shane Meehan
12: Seán McMahon
15: Cian O’Connor
14: Thomas Meenaghan
20: Justin Hughes
Subs:
13: Seán Hegarty for Hughes (39)
17: Ben O’Halloran for Martin (42)
23: Eoin Fitzpatrick for O’Connor (56)
Brickey Rangers:
1: Mike Dwyer
4: Johnny Cooney
3: Cormac Deevy
2: Seán Lennon
6: Conor Whelan
7: Conor Browne
5: Cillian Ryan
8: Daithí Colleran
9: Cathal Curran
10: David Nyhan
11: Paddy McCarthy
12: Conor Keane
15: Conor McGrath
14: Tom O’Connell
13: Callum Royale
Subs:
17: James Hahessy for Cooney (40)
20: Scott Collins for McGrath (54)
23: Philip Walsh for Royale (56)
19: Nathan Brett for Keane (56)
22: Conor Phelan for Lennon (60)
Referee: Jonathan Hayes (Limerick)
